Curious Am I alone in being fearful to Hang on my own property in the city?

[BikerDad]

I say sit out back quietly with a few beers and get a feel for how it is at night. Eventually you'll feel more comfortable and have no worries.

This. Or, you won't, but you'll probably also no longer be concerned about not hanging at night on your property.

As for me, I'd do it, but 'tis not my property. I live in a townhome complex, all common area. Plus, the only trees that are properly spaced would have me hanging across a walkway.

[Dublinlin]

Ironfish45, get a large size pepper spray and relax.

Or get a couple of German Shepherds to sleep under your hammock! Works great for me!!!

[HandyRandy]

Obviously it depends on your location. If it’s a place you wouldn’t feel safe being outside all night even if you were awake, then no. If it’s a place with enough traffic to wake you, then no. If you have loud neighbors, maybe not. I wouldn’t care what the temps were or if it were raining, but if it were real humid or if the skeeters were swarming, then no. For many of these reasons and also the fact that I don’t even have any trees to hang from means I do not ever do so, unfortunately. Which makes me very jealous of you folks who can do so! So if you can do it, do it for those folks who can’t!

[Tyroler Holzhacker]

DH Sparrow.jpg

I hang in fenced back yard and my schnauzer guards me. The only thing that bothers me is the occasional jet plane flying over head, or the loud frogs/crickets making their summer music at night. This is why the Fall and Spring are my favorite camping/hanging seasons. Quieter, cooler, and fewer insects, especially skeeters and ticks.

[TrailSlug]

Get someone else to hang with you especially some one slower than you Seriously though having someone else there helps if your afraid of your environment.

[HandyRandy]

Get someone else to hang with you especially some one slower than you Seriously though having someone else there helps if your afraid of your environment.

Now that you mention it, that gives me an idea. You could hang up “scarecrow” hammock! I’m only half joking, lol. If you have an extra tarp and/or hammock, and some nearby trees, go ahead and pitch it and now you have a useless, but nonetheless intimidating bodyguard.

[GadgetUK437]

A bear with lasers for eyes... Now I'm Scared!!

[geneaut]

I hang under my back deck a few times a year testing equipment. The train comes through town about once an hour every hour of the night and the horn bothered me until I started sleeping with ear plugs in.

Now the only issue are the neighborhood cats 'fighting' in my back yard. Or my wife leaving early for work since we all park our cars out back.

[Brommeland]

Personal defense is part of what I do for a living, so I'll chime in here. Most folks falsely believe that if they leave other people alone, then they too will be left alone. This sort of thinking makes for a perfect victim.

Get some training and (as previously recommended) get a dog or two - they truly are man's (and woman's) best friend. You can also buy perimeter security systems that are intended for backpackers. These usually involve trip wires to set off an alarm if someone enters your campsite.

In my experience, most people who choose to "not live in fear" simply decide to retreat into a mental state of denial that brings them comfort. This works fine right up until it doesn't. This method rarely ends well.

More realistic people will heighten their awareness, get some training and tools and then go on with their lives confident that they have done what they can to insure their personal safety. These folks are usually avoided by human predators because criminals tend to be lazy - they look for the easy target. They will usually avoid a confident/competent person and look for an easier victim.

In some instances this does not happen (criminals also tend to be stupid), which is where the training and tools enter the picture. It's like wearing a seat belt in your car - you will do all that is possible to avoid a wreck, but if all else fails that seatbelt might well save your life as a last resort.

[framjam]

How far away are your neighbours?

I don't have to speculate about bad guys in my back yard. We left our back door unlocked once, a couple of years ago, and a computer was stolen from the house in the middle of the night, while we were all home.

I've still managed to hang in my back yard. I have a loud voice. And my property is only 20 feet wide.

Don't do it, if you're going to spend the whole night worrying; that's hardly worth it. But, if you can decide that you don't have to worry, then just go for it. Or set up some safety measures that work for you.